


Pathstone

by WhimsicallyWiddershins



Category: Othello - Shakespeare, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Genre: Storytelling, Time-warping Inn, strange crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 14:52:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14595411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhimsicallyWiddershins/pseuds/WhimsicallyWiddershins
Summary: Iago, having escaped from Cyprus following Othello's death, takes shelter from a storm in an inn, where he meets Gawain of King Arthur's court, returning from a quest. They trade stories over ale.Note, this is not Gawain from BBC Merlin, but from Arthurian Legend.





	Pathstone

**Author's Note:**

> Please Enjoy! 
> 
> I do not own Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, nor do I own Othello. If I did, I would be long dead.

Iago swore bitterly as he walked on in the terrible storm, leaning forward into the gusts of wind and lashing rain. He had barely made it out of Cyprus alive, and he was still on the run from pursuers who wished to make him pay for his actions that caused the Moor to die. Iago squinted through the rain to see a faint light in front of him. Moving closer, he realized it was an inn, a large one from what he could see through the storm.

Just before pulling open the heavy wooden door, Iago made out a sign describing it as the _Pathstone Inn_. The inn was filled with people of various backgrounds, having all sought the inn as shelter from the raging storm. Even so, the variety of people was somewhat strange. A massive man clad in furs and leather with sword and shield nearby told a story to a quivering man dressed in a shabby pilgrim’s robe. As Iago passed, he heard the barbarian man say something about a dragon of all things, while the timid man squeaked about demons.

Iago passed another full table where an older lady, large and clad in vast amounts of fabric talked loudly to a beautiful young woman with a demure smile on her face, who the loud woman addressed as Griselda.

Finally, Iago saw an empty chair across a man wearing gold armor decorated with ruby gemstones, offset by a strange green silk sash. A knight by the looks of it, which was good for Iago. Knights were fools, and once one decided Iago was a good man, no amount of convincing form Iago’s pursuers could hope to persuade him otherwise.

     “Good sir, may I sit here and dine with you. I have come seeking shelter from the storm.”

     “Why yes, please sir, come sit with me. I am Gawain of King Arthur’s court.”

     “It is an honor to meet such a noble and honorable man, Sir Gawain. But please, I am but

      a simple man, and no sir. I am Iago, a traveler.”

     “A traveler you say. Where are you traveling to, Iago?”

     “I am not traveling to anywhere.”

     “Ah, traveling from. Where do you hail?”

     “Venice, but my tale is not a kind one. Let us pass the time with joy instead.”

     “If you say so friend.”

A lovely woman with red hair and green eyes brought them food and drink, and Iago and Gawain spoke, Iago avoiding his past and deftly encouraging Gawain to talk of his. Like all knights, Gawain liked to brag, and Iago sat and listened with a smile on his face.

     “Well my friend, I have told you my tale, will you not tell me yours?”

     “Ah, my own story is an uninteresting one, surely we can pass the time with a better tale?”

     “Aye! There is no better way to spend a stormy night then to tell tales with friends!” The jovial and slightly drunk knight said. Iago casually switched their tankards of ale, and Gawain began to drink Iago’s full tankard without noticing. Iago smirked. The drunker the man, the easier to influence. Like any smart man, Iago barely touched his drink, choosing to keep his wits sharp.

     “That seems like a good way to weather the storm. Very well Sir Knight, with your permission, I shall tell you a story of men led astray by their own honor. Please,       lend your noble ears to this tale.” Iago said, taking a small swallow of ale to wet his throat.

                                                                                                                 == **[** ======>

_In the great Isle of Albion, the land of eternal rain and magic, there was an ancient castle. This castle outmatched all others in beauty and even King Arthur’s fair Camelot could not match its splendor. The castle known as Carregffordd._

_For all of its beauty, Carregffordd was a treacherous place, meant to beguile the minds of the unwary. Many a fool had been led to their demise, for the castle was ruled by a faerie of the most evil kind. The faerie was called Tamesis, and she lured desperate men to her castle. Carregffordd was a magic place, and it moved through the land as easily as a hart, and it often appeared to unwary travelers in a terrible storm, forcing them to seek shelter in its halls._

_Tamesis would take the form of a noblewomen to the weary travelers, and offer them the grandest feasts and most splendid rooms. Her great beauty would leave them awestruck and hopelessly in love with her. Enchanted by her beauty they would take leave of their senses. Husband would leave his wife and family, would not eat or sleep his thought would be so obsessed with evil faerie. He would soon waste away, and Tamesis would revel in his death, and force his family to become her slaves._

_Thus the faerie did continue to bewitch innocent men and enslaving their families. Then, one day, a knight came to Carregffordd seeking shelter, having been caught in the storm surrounding the castle. He was most noble and handsome, and served a great and wise king. He was returning from a magnificent quest to free a helpless town from terrible beasts of the fae, and he arrived at Carregffordd still clothed in his golden armor, splattered with the blood of the monsters he had slain. The faerie Tamesis saw the blood of her kinsmen on his armor and vowed that the knight would pay for killing others of her kind._

_To punish the knight for slaying fae, she planned to seduce the knight into her bed. Once he had lain with her, she would reveal her true form to his horror and disgust, for he would have slept with an evil being.  It would be only after he realized he had lain with evil and enjoyed it would she kill him._

_And so Tamesis welcomed the knight with honeyed words and gracious smiles, and, as all of those before, he was awestruck by her beauty. Yet he was noble and chivalrous, and forced such lustful and sinful thoughts out of his head, and treated her with simple courtesy. Angered that the knight spurned her beauty, Tamesis demanded he be housed in the worst room in Carregffordd and be given only bread and water. The knight was sleepless in the drafty and leaky room, chilled by the icy wind and kept awake by his demanding hunger. The next morning he was brought to a stunning dining room, and a bountiful feast lay before him. Tamesis apologized for her behavior the night before and bid him to eat his fill. He graciously gave her his forgiveness, and again she tried to tempt him with her unnatural beauty. The noble knight refused to be swayed by his lust. Enraged by his refusal, the faerie forced him the garb of the lowest servant, taking away his golden armor and bejeweled sword. He was sent to do the most menial tasks that hurt his noble pride. And yet the knight never complained. She dressed him as a fool and took delight in his humiliation. But the knight was undaunted._

_Then she told him that she was madly in love with him and wanted to shower him with riches. The knight was tempted by the wealth she offered, but he clung to his chivalry and refused her offer._

_The faerie then disguised herself with unholy, evil magics and pretended to be a saint sent down from Heaven. The knight knelt before her in awe and she was pleased to have humbled the man through trickery. She told him that everything she had down was a test, and he had proved his nobility. Tamesis then told him she had a gift for his King, and only trusted him to deliver it. Gratified by her words, the young knight promised to deliver the gift and obey her. He foolishly trusted her and accepted the gemstone she gave him. It was then she dropped her disguise, showing her true form and a dark and evil faerie, cloaked in shadows and cobwebs, hair red as the blood of her victims and eyes an unnatural evil green. He tried to run, but found that, to his horror, his feet had sprouted roots and he could not move from his spot.  He was then consumed by her sorcery and turned into an oak tree, and even his soul was bound in that form, unable to ever go the Eternal City._

_The evil faerie had her revenge for her slain kinsmen and enjoyed the knight’s suffering. He had trusted her and obeyed her and, like all beautiful women, she betrayed his trust and used his nobility against him.  The knight would forever be bound to the tree, forced to watch as she continued to kill and enslave innocents. Such is the price of chivalry._

                                                                                                                 == **[** ======>

     “You see Gawain, the destiny of noble men is to be tricked by evil women and chivalry brings only despair. A clever man would have taken her offer of wealth and wouldn’t have been so easily tricked.” Iago said, waving a hand at his companion.

     “Surely that is not so. For without nobility we men are only scoundrels. But alas, I shall not argue with you tonight. Let us drink and enjoy each other’s unlikely company. Now, I have a story for you, good sir.” Gawain said with a laugh.

     “I am no sir, but please, regale me with your tale.”

     “Very well. Give me your ears and your patience, for I am no bard.”

                                                                                                                == **[** ======>

_In the land ruled by a great and generous king, there was a noble and handsome knight by the name of Balthild. As many young knights in a king’s court were wont to do, he often went on marvelous quests to aid those in need. It was when he was returning from one such quest to save a small village from monstrous beasts that he was lost in a terrible storm. He struggled through the raging winds and pounding rain, leading his horse for he could barely see the ground beneath him. In desperation he prayed to the Lord to save him as he continued onward, for there was no shelter to be found. Then, as if answer to his prayers, the wind and sleet cleared enough to see a great castle before him. He urged his tired horse onwards and soon made it to the gates of the castle, although he could hardly make out the features of the place. Cloaked servants welcomed him at the gate and led his horse to the stables and Balthild in to a massive room. A blazing fire warmed the room and servants offered him dry clothes made of the finest silks as they spread his wet garments by the fire. He was then led to a table which held a massive feast, with all of the finest foods. It was there he met the Lady of the castle._

_The moment he saw her was awestruck by her beauty and her kindness which seemed to shine through her skin. Her hair was as red as the gems that covered his sword, her eyes as green as new oak leaves. She was perfect in face and body, and Balthild could scarcely believe such a woman existed. Her only flaw was miasma of sadness that cloaked her, and the loneliness in her eyes._

_“Welcome sir knight, please sit at my table. You are welcome here but you must leave tomorrow, for I am stricken by a terrible curse. Any man who stays with me for three days will come to his death.”_

_Balthild was amazed by this and to his shock, he realized all of her servants were women._

_“I thank you, gracious lady, for your hospitality. Forgive my impertinence, but I might I stay two days? You seem very lonely and I could regale you with stories of my quests.”_

_The lady was surprised by Balthild’s request, but some of that sadness seemed to leave her and she laughed._

_“Very well sir knight, you may stay two days but not one longer. Is it only pity that drives you to stay?”_

_“No my lady, for it is my own selfish desire to look upon your face for a while longer, for you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, more beautiful then all of the ladies at my king’s court.”_

_“Then if it your desire to stay for two days, I shall not make it easy for you. If you leave tomorrow, I shall give you the finest room in the castle to sleep, but if you plan to stay, you must sleep in the worst, coldest room.”_

_“If it means I may stay another moment in your presence my lady, then I will gladly sleep in the leakiest, worst room of the castle.” Balthild said, gazing upon her lovely face._

_The lady agreed and once they finished a servant led Bathild to his room. As they walked he asked her, “Why do you serve this lady if it means you cannot stay with your husband?”_

_The servant, and old woman with kind eyes laughed._

_“All of the servants here are glad to be away from our husbands, fathers and brothers. We first came to this castle seeking shelter in the storm. The lady said that the women could stay, but the men must leave, due to her curse. Many of us chose to stay, and the men that tried to take us away by force died because of the curse and were glad for it.”_

_“I see. This lady is truly a noble woman!” Bathild replied._

_That night, Balthild slept restlessly, haunted by uneasy dreams and the cold that permeated the room._

_Still, the next morning, the lady awaited him at a table full of delicious food, and seeing her made his heart light. During their breakfast, the lady challenged him again, trying to get him to leave._

_“Sir Balthild, if you truly wish to stay, you must give me something in return.” Her words were grave but her eyes were light with mirth._

_“Well, most noble lady, I shall be you fool for the day, to warm your heart with stories and laughter.”_

_And so Balthild dressed in a fool’s attire, which made the lady laugh at the sight of him. He entertained her with stories of his quests and other knights of his court. The lady’s sadness fled in the face of his cheer and warmth. By the end of the day, the lady was in love with the noble knight who chased away her loneliness._

_“Now sir, you must leave tomorrow morning, or else you will die.” She warned. Although it hurt to let him go, the lady could not bear watching him die._

_“I am sorry lady, but I cannot leave, for I am in love with you.” Balthild replied. “And if I left, you would be alone again, and that I could not allow.”_

_“No, you do not understand,” She pleaded. “For I am not human, but fae. Any human man who stays near me will die. I must spend eternity alone, or would kill those I love.”_

_“I do not care sweet lady, for I have made up my mind. I will stay with you until the end.” Balthild said, and he would not leave, no matter how she begged and cried. She tried to convince him to return to his king, but he refused to leave her._

_The third day dawned, and Bathild and the lady did not sleep, but spent the rest of that night cherishing each other’s company. The third day was spent with her imploring him to leave, and Balthild refusing to go._

_The night of the third day saw them in the garden, Balthild holding his lady close. He felt himself growing weaker, his life leaving his body. The lady wept, and refused to let him leave her. So, she gathered her faerie magics and changed Bathild into a great oak tree, and bound his soul to it. His soul could not leave the tree, but as long as the lady was touching the tree, they could interact. The lady was never alone again, and Bathild stayed by her side for eternity._

                                                            == **[** ======>

      “And so nobility is rewarded with eternal love.” Gawain said in triumph.

      “Well, perhaps one so noble such as yourself would consider that a reward, but such a simple, honest man such as myself cannot see the reward in that.” Iago replied.

      “Ah my friend, surely there is a woman you love that you would give your life for?”

      “Well… I suppose.”

      “Oh, and who would that be.”

     “Oh, it is an unchivalrous thought.”

     “Nonsense, love leads you to do amazing things.” Gawain urged.

     “My wife Emilia, for I love her so, but she was, oh it would only darken our table.”

     "No, please sir, continue, I must know.”

     “I told you before, I am no noble knight such as yourself.”

     “Come tell me of your wife.”

     “My wife was stolen from me for one knight by a terrible man, a barbarian from far off lands. He bewitched her with magic and took her from me. He even caused her          to think me evil. So I, well, I am ashamed to say my anger go the better of me and I killed him. I am ashamed to even say it. I know such a good man as yourself would   never do such a thing.” Iago said.

     “Oh, that is a terrible story my friend, but do not fear, if I were you I would have killed that scoundrel too! You are a good man to defend you wife in such a manner.”

      “You are too kind, sir.” Iago said.

      “Nonsense, any man would do the same.”

       “I am afraid not, for many men blame me for my actions, and even try to blame me for the scoundrel killing his own lovely wife, a poor girl who did not deserve    such a fate. The Moor seems to hold all men in his trickery and evil ways.”

       “Why my friend, that is a horrible tale. But let me assure you, should any search for you and ask me of you, I will not betray you.”

       “Sir Gawain, you are a just and noble man, to help one such as myself.”

Before long the storm cleared, and the inn’s occupants left, one by one, to continue on whatever journey brought them there.

The Innkeeper, a beautiful woman with ruby red hair and emerald eyes watched them leave, leaning against a massive, ancient oak tree that dominated the inn’s yard.

_Finis_

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this random drabble of mine! Did anyone see other characters form other classic tales, such as Beowulf, Canterbury Tales and Dante's Inferno?  
> Also, Carregffordd is a Google Translate version of Welsh for 'stone' and 'journey or road'. 
> 
> Please leave comments, I would love to hear some feedback, but please be nice!
> 
> ~Whimsy


End file.
